Artificial leg.



No. 833,779.- I PATENTBD DEG. 1s, 1906. 1

G; A; ERICKSON.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10,'1906.

.lum/1111171111;llllllwllll/l UNITED STATESQILIENT OFFIOE.

GUSTAF A. ERICKSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN E. ERICKSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL LEG.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAF A. ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Legs; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as .will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to artificial legs, and

has for its object to improve the same in the` several particulars hereinafter noted.

The invention is illustrated in the 'accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l shows the complete artificial leg in side elevation. Fig. la is a side elevation of the slip-socket removed from working position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line m2 x2 of Fig. 1. Fig. Sis a detail in vertical section taken on the line x3 003 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line x4 :e4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail in side elevation with some parts broken away and others sectioned, showing one of the springcushion devices. F ig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5, illustrating a slightlymodified form of the spring-cushion; and Fig. 7 is a view partly in horizontal section on the line 907 U07, Fig. 1, but with some parts left in full and with some parts broken away.

The numeral 1 indicates the lower leg-section of the artificial limb, the same having the usual foot 2.

The numeral 3 indicates the thigh-socket, which is of the usual construction and is connected to the leg-section 1 by a pair of metall-ic thigh-straps 4, rigidly secured to said members, with its sections hinged at 5 to aord a knee-joint.

The numeral 6 indicates the so-called slip-socket,7 which at its sides is provided with channeled guides that embrace the edges of the lower sections of the thigh-straps 4 and is guided for vertical movements thereby. The said channeled guides on the sides of the slip-socket are lined with buckskin or similar material, (indicated at 7,) and the bottoms of the said channels at intervals are formed with transverse grooves, into which the said buckskin lining is adapted to be pressed by the transverse bars 8 of a skeleton metal frame made up of the said bars 8 and integrally-cast side bars 8a. The side bars 8a overlap the outer surface of the slipsocket andare secured thereto by screws, rivets, or other suitable devices.

By means of the skeleton frame the buckskin lining 7 is tightly clamped in working position, and the bars 8 are pressed below the surface of the buckskin, which extends between said bars. The side bars 8L are notched at 8b, so that the buckskin projects therethrough at the sides of the channel for engageir ent with the edges of the coperating thigh-strap 4. The lower sections of the thigh-straps at their inner faces and at their edges are therefore caused torub directly against the buckskin, thereby making the device noiseless in its sliding action and affording a friction device which acts as a spring-dampener to retard the movements of the socket-supporting springs or cushions which are interposed between the leg-section 1 and the slip-socket 6 and which will now be described. The preferred form of these spring-cushions is illustrated in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive. Referring to the parts, the numeral 9 indicates heads provided with laterally spaced depending legs 10, that are formed at their upper portions with vertical slots 1 1. An anchor-rod 12 is passed through the slots l1 and projects at both ends beyond i the legs 10. A coiled spring 13 is attached at its upper end to the intermediate portion of the anchor-bar 12 and at its lower end is attached to the intermediate portion of a short rod 14, the ends of which are seated innotches 15, formed in the lower ends of the legs 10, as best shown in Fig. 5. As shown, three of these spring-cushions are interposed between the leg section l and the socket 6. As shown, the leg-section 1 is provided at its upper end with a metallic band 1a, that telescopically embraces the lower end of the socket 6. Inward of the band 1a the legsection 1 is formed in its vannular upper end with seats that receive and fit the exterior surfaces of the legs 10 and permit the same to freely move upward and downward therein. The projecting ends of the anchoring-rods 12 rest u on the upper end of the leg-section 1 and into slightly depressed seats 12a, formed in the upper edge of said leg-section. These shallow seats 16 hold the anchor-rods roo 12 against endwise movements. When the spring-cushions are thus applied, the lower edge of the socket 6 rests directly upon the heads 9 thereof. As is evident, the springs 13 act under tension to yieldingly support said socket 6 and the weight thereon. In practice I have found that tension-springs produce a better` yielding action than compression-springs when applied as socket-supports in an artificial limb.

Fig. 6 illustrates a slightlyunodiiied form of the cushion device, in which a cylinder 16 is cast integral with or rigidly secured to the head 9. This cylinder 16 at its upper portion is formed with diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 17, through which the ancher-rod 1.2 is passed. The lower endl of this spring 13 is secured to a cap 18, that is seated in and closes the lower end of the cylinder 16. The laterally-spaced parallel legs 1() of the device illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 5 may be set any desired distance apart, so that an elastic web of considerable width may be applied to the rods 12 and 14 in lieu of the spring 13. i

The several novel features of construction above described have been incorporated in artificial legs and in actual service have been found extremely efficient for the purposes had in view.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent .of the United States, is as follows:

1. In an artificial leg, the combination with a leg-section having metallic straps secured thereto, of a slip-socket cooperating with said leg-section and mounted to slide on said straps, and a skeleton, metallic frame and a pliable material, such as buckskin, the former securing the latter in the guide-channels of said slip socket, substantially as described.

2. In an artificial leg, the combination with the lower leg-section, a thigh-socket and jointed thigh-straps connecting the two, of a slip-socket having guide-channels receiving the lower sections of said thigh-straps, the bottoms of said channels having transverse grooves, the skeleton frames, 8 8a applied in said channels and having their side portions cut away at 8b, and sheets of pliable material, such as buckskin pressed into said guide-channels by said skeleton frames and projecting into said guide-channels beyond the metallic surfaces of said skeleton frames and engaging with lower sections of said thighstraps, substantially as described.

3. A cushioning device of the character described, comprising a head and a depending slotted body portion, an anchoring-rod projecting transversely through the slot of the said body portion, and a tension-spring applied to the intermediate portion of said anchor-rod and anchored to the lower end of said body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afIiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAF A. ERICKSON.

Witnesses:

' H. D. KILGORE,

F. D. MERCHANT. 

